After
Gaining Four Games in Five Days, Diamonds Are Ready for The Final Push for
First Place with Six Straight Against Sonoma
Riding
their longest winning streak of the year (5) to their best winning percentage
of all time (.606), the Pittsburg
Diamonds sit three games behind league leader Sonoma with six games to play
before the first half Pacific Association champion is crowned. It is fortunate
for Pittsburg that all six final games are against the first place Stompers,
three at home and three in Sonoma.
The
starters:
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Winter Chevrolet
Stadium, Pittsburg: It was Corey
MacDonald (2-2) who got the latest winning streak going by starting against
Sonoma July 5 and showing the way to victory. The righthander gave up just two
earned runs in six innings of pitching but did not get a decision in Diamond’s
5-4 win.
Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Winter
Chevrolet Stadium, Pittsburg:
He gave up five hits and five walks in his debut against the Stompers July 6,
but most importantly, Travis Blakley
allowed no runs in his five innings of work that night. The Diamonds would take
their second straight victory over Sonoma 6-5. The former big leaguer will be
making his second appearance on his effort to return to the major leagues.
Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Winter Chevrolet
Stadium, Pittsburg:
To Be Determined
Diamonds Have Stake in First Half Individual
Titles at the Plate ….
-- First baseman Vinny Guglietti has
been at or near the top of the batting average (.419) and runs-batted-in (34)
leaders all season. His closest competitor now in those two races is Diamonds’
centerfielder Wes Wallace (.347 and
30). The two are also among the leaders in homeruns. San Rafael’s Jake Tayler
has 10. Wallace after two homeruns on Sunday is tied for second at 8 and
Guglietti has 5 homeruns.
… and on the Mound – With credit for three wins, Tyler Stirewalt is tied for second in
that category behind Sonoma’s Tyler Garkow who has four wins. Corey MacDonald is in striking distance
to grab the ERA title. His 2.90 earned run average has him second behind the
Stompers Juan Espinosa at 2.54. Stirewalt is fourth at 3.11 and Dennis Neal has the seventh lowest ERA
at 3.58.
With Dramatic Walk-Off Homerun Is
This a Team of Destiny?
– The five-game winning streak the Diamonds have built has been filled with heart
stopping moments. Three one-run victories followed by two games decided by just
two runs have been nail biters. But one stands out. Friday night the Diamonds
had fallen behind by two runs and things looked bleak when San Rafael got the
second out in the bottom of the ninth. The tying runs were on base and J.J. Wagner worked the count to 3-1. To
see what happened next go to DiamondsProBall.com and click on “Wagner Walk-Off
Homerun.”
How to Catch the Next Dramatic
Moments in This Title Chase
– If you can’t make it out to Winter Chevrolet Stadium for the critical
three-game series this week, there are a number of ways to follow the action.
All Diamonds games – home and away -- are available via the internet and
Mixlr.com. The three home
games against Sonoma – Tuesday through Thursday -- will also be streamed live
on BayAreaSports.TV. Wednesday’s game will be carried by KLSN-FM, Classic Hits
92.9. KLSN will also carry the final two games of the first half of the season
on Saturday and Sunday from Sonoma.